To Rob Harris, his Smith and Wesson Sigma 9mm handgun might as well be a pair of Nikes.

The 36-year-old Eastpointe resident said strapping a holster and handgun to his waist is simply a part of his routine.

“I open-carry everywhere I go,” he said. “It is like putting on a pair of shoes to me. We have the right to protect ourselves. … I feel it is a deterrent to crime.”

But Harris’ habit of carrying a firearm led to a confrontation last week with Marysville police officers, who stopped him and his friend, Scott Webb, as they walked near a city park during Marysville Days. Webb carries a Smith and Wesson M&P .40-caliber handgun.